BANJUL, The Gambia (XOL Africa) — The Gambia has received 10 fully equipped ambulances and critical medical equipment through an African Development Bank Group-funded regional health initiative aimed at strengthening emergency care, improving diagnostics and boosting the country’s preparedness for future public health emergencies.
The ambulances and equipment were officially handed over on July 9 during a ceremony in Banjul presided over by Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow.
The event brought together senior government officials, representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Health Organization (WAHO), the African Development Bank Group, development partners and members of the diplomatic corps.
The assistance forms part of the African Development Bank Group’s Regional COVID-19 Response Project, implemented by WAHO across ECOWAS member states. The regional program is valued at approximately $22.38 million, with The Gambia receiving about $3.4 million.
The package includes four-wheel-drive ambulances, haemodialysis machines, X-ray and ultrasound equipment, anaesthetic machines, oxygen concentrators and other essential medical supplies designed to improve emergency referrals, expand diagnostic services and strengthen clinical care.
In addition to supplying equipment, the project has trained more than 1,400 health professionals in disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, field epidemiology, biomedical equipment maintenance and other critical public health disciplines.
Gambian Health Minister Ahmadou Lamin Samateh described the delivery as a milestone for the country’s healthcare system, noting that it represented the largest single donation of ambulances The Gambia has received from one institution.
Joseph Ribeiro, the African Development Bank Group’s Deputy Director General for West Africa, said the investment extends beyond healthcare infrastructure.
“The equipment being handed over today is not merely an investment in healthcare infrastructure, it is an investment in people,” Ribeiro said in a statement delivered on behalf of the Bank.
“It is an investment in mothers who will receive safer care, children who will grow up healthier, health workers who will be better equipped to serve their communities, and institutions that will become more capable of protecting public health.”
The African Development Bank Group also commended the Government of The Gambia, the ECOWAS Commission, WAHO, the Government of Germany and other implementing partners for their collaboration in strengthening regional health security.
The Bank said the deployment of the ambulances and medical equipment is expected to reduce delays in emergency care, improve access to essential health services and enhance The Gambia’s capacity to respond to future disease outbreaks and other public health emergencies.
Officials emphasized that continued maintenance of the equipment, adequate staffing and sustained investment in resilient healthcare systems will be critical to ensuring the long-term success of the initiative.
SUPPORT AFRICAN BUSINESS JOURNALISM
Help XOL Africa expand independent business reporting across Africa.
SUPPORT XOL AFRICA →
